Interview Preparation (Part 2)
Written by Anthony Siu, Beata Wong
Great! Now that you have all those knowledge in your head from Part 1, let's make sure your brain is functioning optimally coming up to the interview!
These tips are quite obvious but somehow overlooked or underestimated by a lot of students. Your performance is hugely influenced by your physical and mental status on that day so make sure you are following these guidance so as to not let all those weeks of preparation go to waste.
Get enough sleep!
Never sacrifice your sleep before interview or exam, make sure you get at least 8 hours of it 2-3 days before the interview. Ideally, this should be done everyday, not just the few days prior to interview. However, I understand that it is quite hard to achieve. Sleep is very important for our energy level, focus, and even long term memory due to an effect known as the Sleep-dependent memory consolidation.
P.S If you want to learn more about it you can look up Dr. Justin Sung on Youtube (great advice on learning as well) or give this article a read. (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00018/full).
Warming up your brain & voice
We know it's hard but this is one way that might prove helpful: practice answering 1-2 common interview questions to yourself that morning to ‘warm up’ your brain and voice - mentally visualising yourself walking into an interview room, greeting the examiner, then giving a structured response confidently and calmly utilises a technique known as visualisation and was first noticed in athletic performance and later used in clinical psychology. It helps to bring you to a state of relaxation and better prepare yourself for the upcoming interview. If you find it hard to do it silently, it's also okay to say it out loud.
Avoid things that might make you ill
- for obvious reasons!
Know your way!
Make sure you know your route well and always arrive early - I personally aimed to be at least 45 minutes early to the interview check-in time (not start time), just in case there are issues with the transport, and also to be fully mentally prepared.
Now, here are the last few steps on the day to ensure an incredible interview.
What to wear?
Always choose formal clothes! A wise person once said "it's better to overdress than underdress." That cannot be more true when it comes to medical school interview. You don't have to get a tailor made suit from Harrods (at least not for this occasion solely), but definitely formal shirt, trousers, and a suit jacket. It's a safe option to put a tie on as well (specific to male). In essence, choose an outfit that makes you look neat and confident.
Additional layers - as interviews in the UK tend to happen from December to February, the weather can get a bit cold so consider bringing a cardigan/overcoat. When I'm cold, I find myself unable to focus as sharply and I also shiver involuntarily, which is not a good sight to the interviewer, so do keep the weather in mind. However, it's also true that the room will usually be warmer and if it's too warm for you then just ask politely to take your coat off. Trust me, you won't get rejected because of that.
What to bring?
ID - You definitely do not want to go through the dread of realising that you left your ID halfway on your train journey (I imagine that's almost like the feeling of impending doom when people suffer from a heart attack) , and call up the medical school to see what they can do for you, so remember to pack everything you need the day before! The interview offer letter usually states what is required from the student, and that typically includes a form of ID (Passport is the safest bet for international student) and occasionally your interview letter, though often digital copy is fine. If it's unclear, ask the medical school to clarify beforehand.
Water and tissue - they can really be a life saver; I get sweaty easily when I'm nervous, so having a packet of tissue in my pocket was kind of necessary. Although the interviewer will understand that you are nervous, I would get myself distracted if I were to feel a droplet of sweat slowly trickling down my forehead and seeing it land on the table in the interview room. Drinking some water before the interview and between stations (MMI specific) can also be very helpful as your mouth and throat will feel extremely dry after talking non stop for minutes stressfully. It's almost inevitable as salivation and ventilation is partly a flight or fight response regulated unconsciously by our autonomic nervous system - which you will learn in medical school ;) .
Short notes to read before your interview - the following things are what I'd jot down in my notebook for a quick look before the interview
notes on the essential qualities of being a doctor and supportive evidence of why I possess those qualities (e.g. positions in school, awards I received, work experiences so I usually just quickly read my CV before an interview etc)
some special events in your work, shadowing and volunteering experiences and what you've learnt/qualities you've possessed
brief notes on GMC guidelines
information about the NHS (please refer to notes from our interview lessons for more detailed information)
ethical principles (please refer to notes from our interview lessons for more detailed information)